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Latvia 0 Germany 0: Latvia heroes stand tall against Germany

IN 1998, when Germany were jettisoned from the World Cup by Croatia, one of the country’s tabloids published a resignation letter, imploring manager Berti Vogts to sign it and go home.

At Euro 2000, when Germany managed to finish bottom of a group that included Kevin Keegan’s England, Bild carried a photograph of Zinedine Zidane alongside one of a bratwurst. “This is a footballer” one caption read; the other, “this is a German international”. For red-top Rottweilers from Munich to Magdeburg, here is another disaster to chew on.

Marrying obduracy with organisation, and nervelessness with nationalism, little Latvia’s collection of Skonto Riga scufflers, former Nationwide reserve players and Russian League also-rans frustrated mighty Germany. Their heroes were Maris Verpakovskis, a former Wolves trialist the club liked the look of, but not enough to sign, and Alexanders Kolinko, who was flogged to FK Rostov by Crystal Palace.